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57 Batman Creators Urge: Release Fan Held in Gaza
Edited by: TJVNews.com
More than 50 writers, artists, and editors associated with the iconic Batman character have signed a letter to the Egyptian and Qatari ambassadors in Washington, urging them to press for the release of a young Batman fan who is among the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Photos of 4 year-old Ariel Bibas in a Batman costume, and his entire family wearing Batman t-shirts on Purim in 2023, have appeared widely since Ariel, his baby brother Kfir, and their parents were taken hostage on October 7.
The signatories on the letter include many of the most renowned comics creators, past and present, who have been involved with the Batman franchise.
“Every hostage is equally important, but naturally Batman writers and artists feel a special connection to this young Bat-fan and his family,” said Dr. Rafael Medoff, historian and director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, in Washington DC, which organized the petition. “These comics creators have spent decades developing a hero who fights for the innocent and stands as a beacon of hope for his community, and we’re trying to channel that spirit through this effort.”
Medoff and former Batman artist Dean Motter recently created a nonfiction graphic novel, Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust to America (Dark Horse / Yoe Books), about Americans who spoke out for rescue during the Holocaust. “The moral obligation to speak out against injustice never changes, whether during the Holocaust or in our own time,” Medoff said.
The full text of the letter ( https://tinyurl.com/y8acmvns ) by the 57 Batman creators:
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The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
www.WymanInstitute.org
April 12, 2024
Hon. Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani
Embassy of Qatar
Washington, D.C.
Hon. Motaz Zahran
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Washington, D.C.
Dear Ambassadors Al-Thani and Zahran,
As members of the community of Batman writers, artists and editors, we are contacting you concerning the young Batman fan who was taken hostage by terrorists and has been held in Gaza since last October 7.
Ariel Bibas, age 4, and his brother Kfir, now age 1, were taken hostage by Hamas, along with their parents, Yarden and Shiri Bibas. Ariel’s maternal grandparents were murdered in the same attack.
Moved by the many anecdotes of Ariel’s affection for the iconic character who has become a symbol of hope and justice for so many, we implore your governments to exercise all possible leverage on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to immediately release the Bibas family, and all the Israeli hostages, from captivity.
Sincerely,
Charlie Adlard
Artist, Batman/Scarface; Harley Quinn; Batman Arkham
Sal Amendola
Artist / Writer, Batman; Detective Comics; World’s Finest
Mark Bagley
Artist, Batman; Batman: Long Shadows; Justice League of America
Hilary Barta
Inker, Elseworlds Finest; Batman: Gothic Knights; Detective Comics
John Beatty
Artist, Batman; Detective Comics; Justice League of America
Scott Beatty
Writer, Batman: Gotham Knights; Batgirl: Year One; The Batman Handbook
Terry Beatty
Artist, Batman: Gotham Adventures; Batman Beyond; Batman Strikes
Deron Bennett
Letterer, Batman: Arkham; Detective Comics; Harley Quinn
Simon Bowland
Letterer, The Bat-Man: First Knight; Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
Matthew Brake, M.Div., M.A.
Co-editor, Batman & Theology
Reilly Brown
Artist, Batman/Fortnite; The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox
Mike Carlin
Writer, Batman Black & White; Editor Batman Confidential
Amanda Conner
Writer/Artist, Harley Quinn, Batman, JSA Classified
Denys Cowan
Artist, Batman: Gotham Knights, Detective Comics, Batman Confidential
Chuck Dixon
Writer, Detective Comics; Robin; Vengeance of Bane
Steve Englehart
Writer, Batman; Detective Comics; Legends of the Dark Knight
Sholly Fisch
Writer, Batman’s Mystery Casebook; The Brave and the Bold
Frank Fosco
Artist, Batman – Contagion; Robin
Kami Garcia
Writer, Joker/Harley; Teen Titans: Robin
Noelle C. Giddings
Artist / Colorist, Batman: Blind Justice, Gotham Central, Bane of the Demon
Jordan B. Gorfinkel
Longtime editor of the Batman comics franchise
Mike Grell
Artist / Writer, Batman: Masque
James Harvey
Artist, Batgirl; We Are Robin
Mike Henderson
Artist, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Klaus Janson
Artist, Batman: Gordon’s Law; Detective Comics; Batman: Death and the Maidens
Dan Jurgens
Writer, The Bat-Man: First Knight; Batman Beyond
Lovern Kindzierski
Artist / Colorist, Batman: Legends of the Dark Night; Batman: Sword of Azrael
Paul Levitz
Former Batman writer, editor and publisher
Shane McCarthy
Writer, Batman Arkham; Batman Legends of the Dark Knight; Detective Comics
Scott McRae
Artist, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Dr. Rafael Medoff
Contributor, Theology and Batman
Director, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
Yehudi Mercado
Writer / Artist, Batman: Arkham Asylum
Dan Mora
Artist, Superman/Batman; Joker; Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Dean Motter
Batman: Nine Lives; Batman: Gotham Knights
Ann Nocenti
Writer, Batman, Catwoman, Joker
George Pratt
Writer / Artist. Batman: Harvest Breed
Tom Richmond
Artist, Batman/Superman; Detective Comics
Prentis Rollins
Artist, Batman: Ultimate Evil; Robin; JLA Incarnations
John Rozum
Writer, Detective Comics
Greg Ruth
Artist, The Riddler
Arlen Schumer
Batman historian
Sander Schwartz
Former President, Warner Animation
Declan Shalvey
Artist, All-Star Batman; Batman Incorporated; Nightwing
Hayden Sherman
Artist, Batman: The Adventures Continue; Batman: Urban Legends; Harley Quinn
Howard M. Shum
Artist, Joker/Mask
Saida Temofonte
Artist / Letterer, Batman: Urban Legends, Batman: Scooby-Doo Mysteries
- Torres
Writer, Batman: Knightwatch; Batman Motion Comics on YouTube
Darren Vincenzo
Editor, Detective Comics; Batman: Gotham Adventures
Mark Waid
Writer, World’s Finest; Kingdom Come; The Brave and the Bold
Thomas Yeates
Artist, Detective Comics
Chip Zdarsky
Writer, Batman; Batman/Catwoman; Batman: The Knight
ABOUT THE WYMAN INSTITUTE: The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, located in Washington, D.C., is a research and education institute focusing on America’s response to the Holocaust. It is named in honor of the eminent historian and author of the 1984 best-seller The Abandonment of the Jews, the most important and influential book concerning the U.S. response to the Nazi genocide.
